A series of virtual public workshops planned for September and October on the effects of climate change in Delaware.
The announcement was made by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
Delaware is developing a Climate Action Plan aimed at minimizing greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change while maximizing the state’s resilience to the current climate impacts, including sea level rise, temperature increases, and flooding.
Climate change has its share of skeptics, especially in Sussex, the Delaware county with the lowest elevation.
The workshops will be presented as a series of four virtual public input sessions designed to solicit feedback on specific strategies Delaware can take to address climate change.
The first workshop will examine specific strategies the state can take toward minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, building off initial workshops held in March, and a consultant’s technical analysis of greenhouse gas emissions in Delaware. This workshop will be offered on two separate occasions to enable greater participation, but workshop content will be the same.
The remaining three workshops will consider strategies the state can take to maximize Delaware’s resilience to climate impacts. Each of these three workshops will be offered once and will focus on a different climate change impact: sea-level rise, increased temperatures, and heavy precipitation and flooding.
Members of the public are encouraged to attend one or more workshops in the series. Attendance at one workshop is not required for attendance at another.
The schedule of virtual workshops includes:
- Sept. 15, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Workshop No.1 – Minimizing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Sept. 17, 5:30 to 7 p.m.: Repeat of Workshop No. 1 – Minimizing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Sept. 24, 5:30 to 7 p.m.: Workshop No. 2 – Maximizing Resilience to Sea Level Rise
- Sept. 29, 5:30 to 7 p.m.: Workshop No. 3 – Maximizing Resilience to Increased Temperatures
- Oct. 1, 5:30 to 7 p.m.: Workshop No. 4 – Maximizing Resilience to Heavy Precipitation and Flooding
All the workshops will be held virtually via Zoom, a video and telephone conferencing system that is free to use. Registration for the workshops is required. Instructions for how to download and use Zoom will be sent to registered participants prior to each workshop. Register at declimateplan.org.
The workshops will be recorded and posted on declimateplan.org.
